Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Massachusetts Minutemen Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024

Preview and Prediction

The Arizona State basketball team will strive to avoid consecutive defeats on Saturday as they face off against Massachusetts in a nonconference matchup at the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Mass.

The Sun Devils (8-2) had their six-game winning streak snapped with an 83-66 loss to then-No. 9 Florida on December 14th in Atlanta. In this defeat, Arizona State was outmatched on the boards, being outrebounded 47-27.

"They were incredibly physical and aggressive," commented Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley. "We were not prepared for that level of intensity."

The Sun Devils' other loss this season was an 88-80 defeat against then-No. 6 Gonzaga, where they were once again outrebounded, this time by a margin of 38-29.

UMass (5-7) has managed to string together two consecutive wins, but their struggles with shooting from the free-throw line and beyond the arc continue. In their most recent game, a 77-72 victory over Northeastern, the Minutemen missed 12 of their 31 free-throw attempts. So far this season, they are shooting at a rate of 62.6 percent from the charity stripe and only 26 percent from 3-point range.

Against Northeastern, Jaylen Curry led the way for UMass with four 3-pointers and 24 points. He currently leads the team in scoring with an average of 14.3 points per game. In this game, he was one of five players to score in double figures for the Minutemen.

UMass coach Frank Martin expressed his satisfaction with the team's offensive performance, stating, "That's the style of play I prefer. When one player has a lot of points and shot attempts, it means the ball is in their hands the majority of the time. As someone who has taken pride in defense for 40 years, the easiest team to defend is the one where you know where the ball is at all times. The hardest team to defend is one where the ball is constantly moving and you never know where the shots are coming from. Those teams are incredibly difficult to prepare for. I believe we are playing well offensively."

On the UMass roster, Daniel Rivera leads the team in rebounding with an average of 7.3 per game, while Curry leads in assists with 4.6 per game.

Arizona State boasts a balanced scoring attack with five players averaging double figures, led by Joson Sanon with 14.8 points per game. The other four players are Basheer Jihad (13.3), Alston Mason (11.4), BJ Freeman (11.3), and Adam Miller (10.3).

Jayden Quaintance is the top rebounder for the Sun Devils, averaging eight per game, while Mason leads the team in assists with 3.2 per game.

PREDICTION

Arizona State Sun Devils

Massachusetts Minutemen